Former Penn State linebacker Gerald Hodges has a chance to start for the Minnesota Vikings

View full sizeFormer Penn State linebacker Gerald Hodges is a prime candidate to start for the Minnesota Vikings.Sean Simmers, PennLive, file

Former Penn State linebackers Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti will be teammates again for the Minnesota Vikings. Hodges was a fourth-round pick (No. 120 overall) and Mauti a seventh-rounder (No. 213) in the 2013 NFL draft.

While Mauti is a wild card as he recovers from an ACL tear in his left knee, Hodges has the look of an NFL-ready player who can contribute right away. Could the young linebacker even find a starting gig in his first year?

Of course, it's early and the Vikings could very well bring in a veteran to compete for the job. But there are few impact free agents left on the market, either on the inside or the outside, and the Vikings have to like Hodges' range and ability to play in space.

With Henderson shifting to the middle and veteran Chad Greenway on the strong side, Hodges is likely left to compete with Audie Cole and Larry Dean on the weak side.

Hodges, a high school quarterback who began his PSU career as a safety, blossomed into one of the Big Ten's best linebackers. He led the Nittany Lions with 109 tackles, nine passes defended and seven pass break-ups last season and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a junior in 2011.

The 6-1, 243-pound Hodges drew praise during the scouting combine and evaluation process for his coverage skills. He still must bulk up and improve his tackling, according to his NFL.com scouting report.

Hodges expects to compete right away.

"[The Vikings] told me I have a chance to really come in here and make an impact," he said. "I said whatever you guys need me to do, whatever you guys want me to do I’m ready to do it. I’m ready to be a Viking and I’m ready to get started.”

Hodges will have his first chance to impress at the team's rookie mini-camp, which runs May 3-5 in Eden Prairie, Minn.